Talk About Tennis 2.0

This rain/weather delay, which looks like it will last a total of about 90 minutes, is not good for Leylah and Linette, as the winner must play another match today - and in Linette's case, also a doubles match today.

On the one hand, it allows them to rest now... But on the other hand, it pushes the entire schedule back by 90 minutes, thus potentially condensing the matches, possibly giving less time between matches for the winner.

Leylah was ahead 5-3 in the 1st set when play was stopped.

Leylah and Linette are in a 3rd set, exchanging breaks of serve.
The fact that they're playing 3 sets doesn't bode well for the winner, who'll have to play another singles match today.

And Leylah just broke to level the third set at 4 all.

Linette takes the match after a somewhat messy third set over Leylah.

Incredible.
The 3rd set was nothing but successive breaks of serve.
And in the last game - which lasted about 3 hours -, it looked like neither player wanted to win (maybe because they knew they'd have to play again today!). Leylah saved 7 match points against in that last game. Between Monterrey, Indian Wells, and today, Leylah must have saved more match points against her than any other player this year. It's great that she can battle and save so many... but the goal should be not to get herself in that position so often, of course...
Leylah also had 3 or 4 break points in that last game today to even the set at 5... In the end, Linette finally held serve.

It wasn't a very well played match, but it was certainly dramatic and exciting.
Leylah will definitely feel this loss, as she had her chances.
Now she has to convert back to hard court to play Fed Cup next week. Then back to clay after that, of course...

Anhelina Kalinina might be one to watch. She's had a nice past few weeks.
She's currently at a career high ranking of 42...
She just beat Cornet in two tight sets, and 20 minutes later is now on another court to complete her doubles match (with Bencic), which is re-starting at 2-2 in the 2nd set...
Kalinina is not a kid - she's 25 years old... but some players bloom later than others. I'd keep my eye on her this year and next year.

Meanwhile Magda Linette is back on the court playing Kaia Kanepi, after beating Leylah earlier today.
Linette's doubles match is still on the schedule for later tonight, which is ridiculous (a withdrawal in THIS kind of situation is understandable if the doubles match absolutely has to be played tonight).

...And Jabeur just beat Begu in 2 straightforward sets to get herself into the Quarterfinals.

Day 7 Order of Play

Credit One Stadium

Starts at 11:00 AM

Quarterfinal
CHI A. GUARACHI/USA J. PEGULA (3) vs CZE L. HRADECKA/IND S. MIRZA
NOT BEFORE 1:30 PM
Quarterfinal
SUI B. BENCIC (10) vs ESP P. BADOSA (2)
NOT BEFORE 7:00 PM
Quarterfinal
USA A. ANISIMOVA (15) vs USA C. VANDEWEGHE
FOLLOWED BY
Quarterfinal
USA C. DOLEHIDE/CHN S. ZHANG (1) vs TBD

Althea Gibson Court

Starts at 12:00 PM

Quarterfinal
TBD vs HUN A. BONDAR/POL M. FRECH
FOLLOWED BY
Round of 16
POL A. ROSOLSKA NZL/E. ROUTLIFFE vs SLO A. KLEPAC/POL M. LINETTE (4)
FOLLOWED BY
Quarterfinal
GER V. HEISEN/CHN Y. XU vs TBD

I think they moved Linette's match to tomorrow.

ti-amie wrote: ↑Fri Apr 08, 2022 1:20 am I think they moved Linette's match to tomorrow.

That's good... but it really only postpones the problem if she keeps winning.

She just won the 1st set vs. Kanepi - which, given the neverending match vs. Leylah, is impressive.

Why are there only 2 Quarterfinal matches listed for tomorrow? It must be because they don't see the point of writing 'TBD vs. TBD'...
Tomorrow is Friday, and the Finals are on Sunday - so all the Quarters have to be played tomorrow to prevent another day where players will have to play 2 singles matches.

So if Linette wins vs. Kanepi tonight, she must play her Quarterfinal singles match tomorrow. And if she wins her doubles match tomorrow to get into the Quarterfinals, then she'll have to play one singles match and 2 doubles matches tomorrow.
Such are the rewards of success, huh...

And Linette is about to commence playing her 6th singles set of the day, as Kanepi broke her in the last game of the 2nd set.

Linette looks exhausted - and by that look, one would say that if she was going to win this match, it would have had to have been in straight sets. Based on her body language and the way she looked in the last game, I can't see her putting up much of a fight in the 3rd.
But if Kanepi starts spraying balls - as she sometimes does -, it may resurrect Linette...

Deuce wrote: ↑Fri Apr 08, 2022 2:17 am Linette looks exhausted - and by that look, one would say that if she was going to win this match, it would have had to have been in straight sets. Based on her body language and the way she looked in the last game, I can't see her putting up much of a fight in the 3rd.
But if Kanepi starts spraying balls - as she sometimes does -, it may resurrect Linette...

Or... I could be wrong.
Linette, 6-2 in the 3rd.
Honestly, I would have given her a standing ovation if I was there.
She looked completely exhausted between points... she dragged her feet shuffling to the chair on changeovers in the 3rd set...
During those 3rd set changeovers, there was a doctor with her, making sure she was surviving.
She not only survived - she won.
Bravo. Bravo.

Deuce wrote: ↑Fri Apr 08, 2022 2:59 am

Deuce wrote: ↑Fri Apr 08, 2022 2:17 am Linette looks exhausted - and by that look, one would say that if she was going to win this match, it would have had to have been in straight sets. Based on her body language and the way she looked in the last game, I can't see her putting up much of a fight in the 3rd.
But if Kanepi starts spraying balls - as she sometimes does -, it may resurrect Linette...

Or... I could be wrong.
Linette, 6-2 in the 3rd.
Honestly, I would have given her a standing ovation if I was there.
She looked completely exhausted between points... she dragged her feet shuffling to the chair on changeovers in the 3rd set...
During those 3rd set changeovers, there was a doctor with her, making sure she was surviving.
She not only survived - she won.
Bravo. Bravo.

I am totally surprised that Linette won! Deuce isn't kidding. She looked like she was going to collapse walking back to her seat at the end of the second set.

ti-amie wrote: ↑Fri Apr 08, 2022 5:21 pm

Deuce wrote: ↑Fri Apr 08, 2022 2:59 am

Deuce wrote: ↑Fri Apr 08, 2022 2:17 am Linette looks exhausted - and by that look, one would say that if she was going to win this match, it would have had to have been in straight sets. Based on her body language and the way she looked in the last game, I can't see her putting up much of a fight in the 3rd.
But if Kanepi starts spraying balls - as she sometimes does -, it may resurrect Linette...

Or... I could be wrong.
Linette, 6-2 in the 3rd.
Honestly, I would have given her a standing ovation if I was there.
She looked completely exhausted between points... she dragged her feet shuffling to the chair on changeovers in the 3rd set...
During those 3rd set changeovers, there was a doctor with her, making sure she was surviving.
She not only survived - she won.
Bravo. Bravo.

I am totally surprised that Linette won! Deuce isn't kidding. She looked like she was going to collapse walking back to her seat at the end of the second set.

She lost easily today, though - love and 2 to Alexandrova. Understandable, given what she did yesterday. No gas left in the tank...

She's on the court again right now in a doubles match. If she wins, she is scheduled to play another doubles match (Quarterfinal) right after this one.

Bencic beat Badosa in 3 sets today, which I'm surprised at. Perhaps Badosa is not completely recovered from whatever ailment weakened her last week in Miami.
Anisimova is, predictably, plowing through Vandeweghe right now...